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Canada’s Airports: A $48 Billion Economic Footprint

April 16th, 2018

OTTAWA – A new economic impact study released by the Canadian Airports Council (CAC) today shows that Canada’s airports provide 194,000 direct jobs, $19 billion to the national GDP and $48 billion in direct economic activity. They also provide municipal, provincial and federal governments $6.9 billion in tax revenues each year.

“The economic contribution of Canada’s airports reinforces the importance of our industry to the economy,” said Daniel-Robert Gooch, president of the CAC. “Canada’s airports are essential to Canada’s transportation network and an important facilitator of economic development. The connectivity provided by Canada’s airports helps to attract tourists, facilitates trade and investment, and contributes to the growth of the economy.”

Economic Impact Highlights:

Impact

Employment

Wages

GDP

Output

Direct

194,000

$13 Billion

$19 Billion

$48 Billion

Indirect

99,000

$6 Billion

$10 Billion

$20 Billion

Induced

62,000

$3 Billion

$6 Billion

$11 Billion

Total

355,000

$22 Billion

$35 Billion

$79 Billion

While Canada’s airports significantly contribute to employment and economic development in the country, air passenger traffic has reached record levels. The number of travellers grew from 66 million in 1988 to more than 140 million in 2016. Over the next 10 years, traffic is projected to increase by another 50 per cent or an additional 75 million passengers.

Tomorrow, senior executives from more than two dozen airports across the country will be in Ottawa to meet with parliamentarians to discuss the growth they are experiencing, the investments they are making to facilitate the flow of passengers and goods, and the pressure that is being placed on some federal government services at their airports.

The Canadian Airports Council (CAC), the voice for Canada’s airports community, has 53 members representing more than 100 airports, including all privately-operated National Airports System (NAS). CAC member airports handle more than 90 per cent of the commercial air traffic in Canada, and an even greater share of international traffic.